Locking means for belt-tightening mechanism



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,900

cv H. TURNER LOCKING MEANS FOR BELT TIGHTENING' MECHANISM Filed July 291921 3 rum whom W 0/4/17 5 6 fdi/Vff atto: we 1 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES? insane CHARLES H. TURNER, F STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

LOCKING MEANS FOR BELT-TIGHTENING MECHANISM.

Application filed July 29, 1921. Serial No. 488,348.

To all to iwm it may concern Be it konwn that I, CHARLES H. TURNER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Statesville, in the countyof Iredell and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in a Locking Means for Belt-Tightening Mechanism, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a locking means for a belt tighteningmechanism and has for its principal object to provide simple andeliicient means for holding the controlling lever thereof in a neutralposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing thebelt from buckling or otherwise sticking to the pulley wheel after thetension has been relieved therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements of thisnature which will be durable and of inexpensive construction and whichwill be eificient and reliable in operation and well adapted to thepurpose for which they are designed.

With these and numerous other objects in view, the invention resides incertain novel features of construction, and the combination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an elevational view of a conventional form ofbelt tightening mechanismshowing my invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the holding mechanism for theoperating lever,

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the belt guard,

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the 4 plunger bracket and Figure 5 isa plan view of the plate attached to the operating lever.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that 1 designates asupport of any preferred construction having suitably mounted thereon abelt tightening mechanism which is of conventional construction and inthe present instance it consists of the rocking frame 2 which iscontrolled by the lever 3 inthe usual manner. My invention for holdingthis lever 3 in a neutral position consists of the bracket 4: which issuitably mounted on the support 1 and is provided with a cylindricalportion 5 which is open at end 6 and partially closed at end 7. A latchelement 8 having a reduced shank 9 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 5and a compression coil spring 10 is disposed about the reduced shankwithin the cylinder 5 so as to normally hold the latch element or nose 8in the extended position such as shown in Figure 2. A. suitable cotterpin or other element 11 is provided in the end of the reduced shank 9and acts as a stop. When it is desired to disassemble the spring and thelatch element this cotter pin 11 is re moved and these parts may be thenpulled from the cylinder 5 as will be readily seen from an inspection ofthe drawing. A plate 13 is suitably attached to the lever 3 and isprovided with the projecting cars 14: which extend laterally from theside portions of the lever as shown to advantage in Figure 1.Intermediate the ends of the plate 13 there is provided an ind'enture 15for receiving the latch element or nose 8 and thus when the nose 8 is inengagement with this indenture 15 the lever 3 will be held in a neutralposition. When it is desired to move the lever 13 either to the right orleft as shown in Figure 1 a little additional pressure will be necessaryso as to overcome the friction caused by the latch element 8 engagingthe indenture 15 and this latch element 18 will ride over the surface ofthe plate and the ears 14 are provided so as to accommodate this latchelement when the lever is positioned so as to place the mechanism in atightened position. vAs is well known in the art when the belting of atightening mechanism such as disclosed in Figure 1 is actuated oradjusted so as to place too much tension on the belt the same has atendency to stick to the pulley wheel. When the tension is released thissticking tendency causes the belt to buckle or tend to fold on thepulley and often is the cause of great destruction and injuries topulley constructions of various natures. In order to overcome this Ihave provided a guard for the pulley which will prevent the belt frombuckling thereon. This guard consists of a foot 17 having alug 18extending therefrom and an aperture 19 extending therethrough so thatthis foot may be attached to the support 1 by means of a screw and thelug 18 will be driven into the support so as to prevent any rotation ofthis foot 17 A finger 20extends from the Lil foot 17 so as to bepositioned below the belt and adjacent the pulley wheel and thus as thetension is relieved from the belt it will engage this finger and preventthe same trom buckling on the pulley wheel. lhis finger 20 extending"from the foot 17 is preferably curved throughout its length as shown toadvantage in Figure 3 so that as the finger is engaged by the belt itwill not have a tendecy to cut the same or in any way injure it.

The above description and the accompanying drawings show the preferredconstruction of my invention and as numerous changes in form,proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of this invention i do, not wish to belimited to the construction herein shown and de scribed other than asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is incombination, a control lever for a belt tightening;- mechanism, a platemounted on the control lever and provided with a centrally disposedindenture arcuate ears extending in opposite directions from each otherand laterally from the sides of the lever, and a seconil pair of earsextending from the plate in opposite directions and aligned atsubstantial right angles to the first mentioned ears, means passing;through the second mentioned ears for fastening the plate to the lever;and a spring ")IQSSGCl latch element engageable. with the plate and thearouate ears and the indenture all in the manner and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. TURNER.

